Towing rig for watercraft



se 't;1i 3, 1960 M, REILLY 2, 5

TOWING RIG FOR WATERCRAFT -Fn d Sept. 10, 1956 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1"WVENTOR MASON JOSEPH REILLY A RNEY Sept. 13, 1960 M. J. REILLY2,952,237 TOWING RIG FOR WATERCRAFT Filed Sept. 10, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet2 --"\1NVENT0R MASON JOSEPH REILLY ATT NEY P 1960 M. J. REILLY 2,952,237

TOWING RIG FOR WATERCRAFT Filed Sept. 10, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORMASON JOSEPH REILLY p 1960 M. J. REILLY I 2,952,237

TOWING RIG FOR WATERCRAFT Filed Sept. 10, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORMASON JOSEPH REILLY United States Patent 2,952,237 TOWING RIG FORWATERCRAFT Mason Joseph Reilly, Kingsville, Md., assignor to The MartinCompany, a corporation of Maryland Filed Sept. 10, 1956, Ser. No.608,829 Claims. (Cl. 114-235) This invention relates to an improved rigfor engaging and towing watercraft, and more particularly to an improvedrig which is virtually automatic in its operation, requiring little orno manual assistance for. its deployment and for its engagement withwatercraft.

In the past, various floating rigs have been utilized for engaging andtowing watercraft, but these prior art devices relied upon the use oflong lengths of cable, paravanes, otters, floats and the like, whichnecessarily required considerable time as well as the eiforts of anumber of men for their deployment in the Water. Such pieces ofapparatus not only tend to become entangled easily, but also presentquite a hazard to the hull of a craft approaching the pickup cable.Furthermore, the stowage problem aboard the towing vessel is quitecomplex and a substantial amount of time is required to retrieve the rigand place it in easily accessible positions on the towing vessel.

In accordance with the present invention, a rig for engaging and towingwatercraft is provided, comprising a pair of frame members secured inhinged relationship at their forward ends, a pickup cable extendingbetween the aft ends of said members, and means to bias the members to aspread position in which the pickup cable will be substantially taut andthereby engageable by the keel hook of watercraft. Means are provided sothat the rig can be towed through the water, and the biasing means arearranged to permit the frame members to be moved together into a towingposition when the cable has been engaged by the craft to be towed.

.The biasing means can take the form of drag means, such as sea anchors,disposed on arms provided upon the frame members, and the arrangement issuch that the drag provided by the drag members tends to keep the framemembers separated into the cable-extending position. Other modificationsof this invention include the use of elastic members to keep the framemembers spread apart, as well as the use of a rudder or paravane memberdisposed at the end of each frame member, with reliance being placedupon the action of the rudder members in the water to keep the framemembers in the cable-extending position.

'The improved rig according to this invention is quite uncomplicated,and because of its lightweight, folding construction, can be launchedand retrieved from a surface vessel or submarine without direct, manualcontact with the rig being necessary. Also, it is self-deploying in thewater, and presents a minimum of water resistance once a watercraft hasbeen engaged and the rig is in the towing position.

The invention will be further described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of theinvention. However, it is to be understood that such further disclosureis by way of exemplification and the invention is not limited thereby,but only to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a towing rig according tothis invention, shown in a typical position for engagement by aseaplane;

Figure 2 is a view from below the surface of the water, illustrating thetowing position of the rig according to Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a second modification of a towing rig according to thisinvention, shown in a cable-extending position;

Figure 4 illustrates the position taken by the frame members of Figure 3when a watercraft is being towed;

Figure 5 illustrates a third embodiment of the rig according to thepresent invention; and

Figure 6 shows a typical keel hook such as can be employed by a seaplaneor other watercraft for engagement with the pickup cable of a rigaccording to this invention.

Referring first to Figure 1 of the drawing, there is shown a firstembodiment of a rig according to this invention that is about to beengaged by a seaplane 9. The rig, which may' be referred to as a ladderrig, comprises frame members including legs 1 and 1a that are se curedtogether in hinged relation such as by a pivot 2. Arms 3 and 3a arerigidly secured to legs 1 and 1a respectively, and at the outer end ofeach arm is located a drag means, such as, in the illustratedembodiment, sea anchors 4. A towing cable 5 is secured at pivot point 2to permit the rig to be towed through the Water, and float members 6,which may be in the nature of cork sausage floats are provided to keepthe front end of the rig from pitching down in the Water or porpoisingwhen the rig is being towed.

A pickup cable 7, which may be of nylon, extends between the aft ends oflegs 1 and 1a, The relationship of arms, legs and sea anchors is suchthat the drag created by the sea anchors tends to keep legs 1 and 1aspread apart into a V-shaped configuration as the rig is towed throughthe water, thereby keeping pickup cable 7 in a taut condition so that itcan be engaged by a watercraft such as seaplane 9.

As will be seen from Figure 2, when pickup cable '7 has been engaged bykeel hook 8 of the seaplane, the cable is drawn rearwardly into a longnarrow loop, thus causing the legs of the rig to be moved together intoa configuration enabling the rig to be towed through the water mosteasily. As is obvious from Figure 2, this motion of the legs causes therespective arms to be moved forwardly into a position somewhatapproaching cable 5. It is contemplated that other drag devices could besubstituted for sea anchors 4, that would present less water resistancethan sea anchors when the legs have moved into the towing positionillustrated in Fig. 2.

The legs 1 and 11a can be of any suitable construction, so that theywill float in the water and offer a minimum resistance when being towedthrough the water. For example, the legs may be of a generally oval orstreamlined cross-section and may consist of a spine of honeycombsandwich construction surrounded by appropriate flotation material suchas cork or the like. Additionally, the legs may be covered by rubberizedfabric or other waterproof material. Since legs 11 and 1a provide theprincipal flotation of the rig as well as being the structural membersto absorb the towing loads, it is apparent that suitably stronghoneycomb construction surrounded by appropriate flotation materialforms ideal construction. However, it is to be understood that hollowtubing of oval or streamlined cross section or another type of costruction may be utilized for the legs if desired.

Arms 3 and 3a, which also are of lightweight materials, are preferablyof tubular construction having the necessary cantilever strength toextend the legs 1 and 1a into the cable-extending position as well as towithstand the loads imposed thereon by the drag means 4.

Referring now to Figure 3, this embodiment of the invention comprisesleg members 11 and 11a, which are secured in hinged relation at theirforward ends to member 12. Rudder or paravane members 13 and 130 aremounted at the outer or extreme ends of legs 11 and 11a, respectively,to bring about movement of the legs into the cable-extending positionwhen the rig is being towed through the water. The rudder members 13 and13a are preferably movably secured to their respective legs at locations14 and 14a respectively. These locations, which may be regarded as pivotpoints, are preferably located about two-thirds of the distance aft fromthe forward-most point on the rudder members, so that there will be anatural tendency for the force of the water to move the rudder membersaway from their respective legs, and thereby bring about movement of thelegs into the separated or cable-extending position. Short cables 18 areprovided to keep the rudder members from moving beyond a most desirableattitude with respect to the legs.

Towing cable 15 is attached to member 12 so that the rig can be towedthrough the water, and float 16 is provided for buoyancy and stabilityreasons. Pickup cable 17 extends between the aft ends of the rig, andmore particularly between points at or near the aft ends of the ruddermembers. Because of this arrangement, the drag of cable 17 as the rigmoves through the water tends to position the rudders so as to supplythe maximum spreading force to the legs.

When the watercraft has engaged the pickup cable 17, it tends to draw itinto a long extended loop with the sides of the loop being generally inalignment with the direction of travel. As illustrated in Fig. 4, thisnot only causes the legs 11 and 11a to be moved into the towingposition, but also it causes rudder members 13 and 13a to move intopositions more nearly aligned with the direction of travel through thewater, thereby to present a minimum of water resistance.

Turning now to Figure 5, an embodiment generally similar to that ofFigure 1 is illustrated, but in this instance, the arms 23 and 23a,which are rigidly attached to legs 21 and 21a respectively, have securedto their outer ends elastic members 28, which may be in the nature ofbungees or springs. The rearward end of each elastic member is securedto the aft end of its respective leg, to bias the legs into thecable-extending position. As in previous instances, this rig is equippedwith towing cable, floats and pickup cable, which are shown at 25, 26,27 respectively. The towing effort may be centralized at point 22, whichmay be regarded as the pivot point or hinge point of the frame members.It is worthy of note that the rig according to the embodimentillustrated in Fig. is biased into the cable-extending position evenwhen the rig is not underway and moving through the water. As analternative arrangement, each arm could be placed on the same side ofthe rig as the leg to which it is attached, i.e., the arm 23leg 21 notcrossing arm 23aleg 21a in Fig. 5. In this latter event, the arms wouldextend somewhat forwardly, and be located at a less obtuse angle withrespect to each other so that one or more elastic members extendingbetween the outer ends of the arms could serve to bias the legs 21, 21aapart.

Referring now to Figure 6, there is shown by way of example a typicalkeel hook such as may be employed on watercraft to engage the pickupcable of the rig. The direction of moton of the craft through the wateris indicated by arrow 29. This hooking device principally comprises hook31 and keeper 37, which are pivoted at points 32 and 38 respectively.Arms 43 and 39 are connected to the hook and keeper, respectively, andthe opposite ends of the arms are connected at points 44 and 40 tooperating cylinders 42 and 41. Keel hook 31 is preferably of the typehaving trigger member 33 that is adapted to be engaged by the pickupcable. The trigger member is pivotally mounted at 35, and recess 34 isprovided into which trigger 33 may move when the pickup cable has beenengaged. The trigger has an upper extension that is adapted to engage aswitch 36 when the pickup cable has caused the trigger to be depressed.

This hooking device may be carried entirely within the contour of thewatercraft, above the keel line 30, until such time as a pickup cable isto be engaged. Then, the control circuit associated with actuatingcylinder 42 is operated, thus causing arm 43 to move hook 31 into theextended or cable-engaging position. When the cable has been engaged,the trigger member 33 is thereby operated, causing the switch 36 toclose the control circuit associated with hydraulic cylinder 41. Thiscauses cylinder 41 to operate, causing the keeper 37 to move from aretracted position inside the hull down into the illustrated position inwhich it acts to retain the pickup cable engaged by the towing hook 31.Similarly, control cylinders 41 and 42 can be operated so as to causethe hook and keeper to release the pickup cable when the towing has beenaccomplished.

This type of hook is described at greater length in the co-pendingpatent application of Kurek et al. filed January 31, 1956, Serial No.571,120, entitled Towing Hook for Seaplanes, now Patent No. 2,872,890.

Because a towing rig according to this invention is collapsible into afolded position requiring very little space for its accommodation, itmay be carried easily on the afterdeck of a small towing vessel, or onboard a submarine. Then, when a watercraft such as a seaplane is to beengaged for the purposes of repair, refueling, anchorage or the like,the rig is pushed or dropped overboard into the water. As previouslymentioned, the rig according to Fig. 5 normally assumes thecable-extending position illustrated in this figure. Since in thetypical instance the towing vessel is underway, the rigs according toFigures 1 and 3 will easily and naturally be moved into thecable-extending position as the rig is towed through the water.

In each embodiment, the pickup cable assumes a relatively taut positionthat is easily engageable by a watercraft. Because of their lightweightconstruction, these devices can be engaged without undue danger to thecomparatively delicate hulls of seaplanes. Then, when engagement withthe craft to be towed has been made, each of the rigs according to thisinvention move into a towing position, thereby permitting the craft tobe towed easily to the desired location.

Although this invention has been described with particular reference tothe illustrated embodiment, it will be understood that this inventionhas advantageous applications for many other purposes, and referenceshould be made to the following claims to determine the full scope ofthe invention.

I claim:

1. A rig engageable by a towing hook of a watercraft comprising a pairof frame members secured in hinged relation at their forward ends, apickup cable extending between the aft ends of said members, and meansto bias said members to a spread position in which said cable will besubstantially taut, whereby said cable can be engaged by a towing hook.

2. A rig engageable by a towing hook of a watercraft comprisinglightweight frame members secured together in hinged relation at theirforward ends, a pickup cable extending between the aft ends of saidmembers, means to tow said rig through the water and means to bias saidmembers to a spread position in which said cable will be substantiallytaut, whereby said cable can be engaged by the towing hook of a movingcraft.

3. A rig engageable by a towing hook of a watercraft comprisinglightweight frame members secured together in hinged relation at theirforward ends, a pickup cable extending between the aft ends of saidmembers, said members, when said cable has been engaged by a craft to betowed, being movable into a towing position which said members lie closetogether, means to tow said rig through the water, and means to biassaid members to a spread position in which said cable will besubstantially taut, and thereby engageable by the towing hook of amoving craft.

4. A ladder rig for engaging and towing a watercraft comprising apivoted V frame having lightweight structural members secured togetherfor pivotal movement relative to each other by pivot means at theirforward ends, a pickup cable secured to and extending between the aftends of said members, and means to spread said members to a position inwhich said cable will be stretched taut in a generally horizontalposition between said members, said means arranged to allow said membersto be moved together into a towing position when said cable is engagedby a craft to be towed.

5. A ladder rig engageable by the towing hook of a watercraft comprisinga pair of rigid, lightweight feg means secured together in hingedrelation at their forward ends, a pickup cable secured to and extendingbetween the aft ends of said leg means, and arms rigidly secured to saidleg means adjacent said hinge, said arms being secured to said leg meansat an angle such that they extend generally normal to the direction ofmotion of said rig when said leg means are extended to maintain saidcable taut for pickup operation.

6. A ladder rig for engaging and towing a watercraft comprising apivoted V frame of rigid lightweight leg members connected for pivotalmovement relative to each other and extending aft of said pivot, apickup cable secured to and extending between the aft ends of said legmembers, arms secured to said leg members adjacent said pivot, and meanson each arm at a point remote from said pivot for exerting a forcetending to spread said legs of said V frame when said rig is towed inthe water.

at their forward ends, a pickup cable secured to and extending betweenthe aft ends of said legs, arms secured to said legs adjacent said hingeand serving as a lever means which bias the leg members outwardly when aforce is applied to said arms, and means for applying a force to saidarms, said legs being moved by said pickup cable to a collapsed positionwhen said cable is engaged by a watercraft for towing.

8. A ladder rig for engaging and towing a watercraft comprising apivoted frame of rigid, lightweight leg members extending aft of thepivot, a pickup cable secured to and extending between the aft ends ofsaid legs, arms secured to said legs adjacent said pivot, said armsbeing secured to said legs at an angle such that they extend generallynormal to the direction of motion of said rig when said legs areextended to maintain said cable taut for pickup operation, and dragproducing means mounted on each arm at a point remote from said pivot toexert a drag force tending to spread said legs of said frame when saidrig is towed in the water.

9. A rig engageable by a towing book of a watercraft comprising a pairof frame members secured in hinged relation at their forward ends, apickup cable extending between the aft ends of said members, means tobias said members to a spread position to extend said cable into a taut,generally horizontal position between said members while said rig isbeing towed and to permit the collapse of said members to the towingposition when said cable is engaged by a watercraft, said meansincluding rudder means pivotally mounted upon the aft ends of saidmembers, said pickup cable being secured to said trailing edges of saidrudders whereby said rudders are aligned for minimum resistance by saidpickup cable when in a towing position.

10. A rig engageable by a towing hook of a watercraft comprising a pairof frame members secured in hinged relation at their forward ends, apickup cable secured to and extending between the aft ends of saidmembers, arms secured to said members adjacent said pivot, and resilientmeans interconnecting the arm of one frame member to the aft end of theother frame member to maintain said members extended and said cable in agenerally horizontal position for pickup operations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

